Home Burglary

Can You Prevent a Home Burglary?

There are ways to deter home burglary. 
First, keeping your home exterior well lit at night will help keep burglars away. Installing motion sensitive lights around your home can make it a hard target.  
Second, trim down shrubs and plants that hide windows and doors. Tall bushes provide concealment for burglars trying to get into your home. Keep drapes closed as well, no need to advertise to burglars who may be casing your neighborhood.
Third, add deadbolts to every exterior door. Make sure all exterior doors are solid core. Make sure windows are locked at all times.
Fourth, get a dog. Even a little dog will be a preventative. They will bark and draw attention to anyone entering the home. Dogs know when something isn't right, and they will warn their owners.
Fifth, join or start a Neighborhood Watch program. Having neighbors watch out for each other's homes can greatly deter potential burglars.
These are deterrents, but not guarantees your home won't be burglarized.

So what if you come home from dinner and find your home has been burglarized? What should you do? 
The first thing  you want to do is make sure it is safe to go inside. This is best determined by the Police, so make that call before you go inside.
The second thing to do is determine what has been stolen. If the police are involved, they will have you make a statement, including what was stolen. Make a list, get a copy of the Police report and call your Insurance Company. Do not hesitate to let them know you are traumatized. If you are still in shock over the situation, you may have trouble remembering passwords, PINs and account numbers. Insurance service employees are usually trained to handle this. Let them walk you through the process. They are there to take care of you.

Tips to make sure you are protected properly in the event of a burglary include:
1. Make sure you have enough Personal Property coverage on your insurance policy.
2. Make a Most- Valuable Item list. Do it now, before something like this happens.
3. Put together a folder of receipts, photos and instruction manuals. These will help you determine the proper amount of Personal Property coverage you need. They will also provide proof of purchase when you need to file the claim. The more proof you have, the easier it will be for your Insurance provider to validate the amount of your claim and take care of you quickly.  
Click here for a Home inventory template download